Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Starting with the chassis of the Mark V and with the new 160 hp OHC 6 cylinder XK engine, a new sportscar was required and William Lyon designed a new bodied car for the 1948 Motor Show. The new car was the XK120. X was experimental, K from the version number of the engine and 120 was again taken from the top speed of the car. The car was a tremendous success for Jaguar. In 1949 speed tests in Belgium, one achieved the remarkable speed of 135 mph. At the Le Mans 24 hr race in 1950, one finished third. Between 1948 and 1954 12,000 were constructed and the car is recognized as a classic today..

I posted a small Avery gas tractor a few days ago, turns out there were two unrelated Avery Farm machinery companies. This one was a large innovative farm implement company started after the Civil War. It enjoyed prosperity making threshers and steam tractors for a number of decades but the rest of the world had caught up by World War 1. The company struggled through the Depression and by WW2 closed its doors for good.

Friday, September 23, 2016

In October of 1975, as part of the AMA Roadrace festival at Ontario Motor Speedway, a vintage race was held. Don Vesco (shown here) rode a 1936 Norton International owned by Jim Sitz.
"Nice pants, Don..."

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Mr. Hal Wright developed the Wright Hoist in Lisbon, Ohio in the 1920s. The company was sold in 1928 and moved to York, Pennsylvania. Mr Hal Wright Jr. later started Chester Hoist with a design like his fathers. That company is still around. http://www.chesterhoist.com

Jacobs was founded in 1929 and became known or its 7 cylinder radial engine, which powered Cessnas, Fleets and other trainers and other small planes including the Canadian-made Avro Ansons. After the war they were absorbed into Republic Industries. More history here.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

The Model V was a small one furrow tractor manufactured by the B.F. Avery & Sons Company of Louisville Kentucky. Power was a 65 cu in engine made by Hercules. Production years were 1947-1952 when the company was bought by Minneapolis Moline.

The tribal class destroyer Athabaskan was built in England, launched Nov. 18 1941 and commissioned into the Canadian navy on Feb. 3 1943. Both the Iroquois and Athbaskan were being built at the same time when a German air raid damaged the Iroquois. The Athabaskan was renamed Iroquois and went into service first. Five months later, the renamed Athabaskan was commissioned. During the 14 months she was in service, accidents and damage kept her out of action for 5 months. On April 29 1944 while in the Bay of Biscay, she was torpedoed and sunk. Below, possibly the last picture taken of the Athabaskan.

Monday, September 19, 2016

We had a nice visit to Valcourt, Quebec to see the Bombardier Museum. On display were the first couple of Ski Doo prototypes. Unfortunately (to me anyway) the really interesting prototypes and other machines are stacked up in the storeroom, inaccessibly behind a large plate glass window and below is as close as you can get to them..

Sunday, September 18, 2016

In 1905 the Montreal Street Railway shops built the first pay-as-you-enter street car. The entry way was lengthened and a rail divided the area. Two doors were furnished, one opening in for entry, the other opening out for exit. It was an important step in the "circulating-load" system of handling passengers and other cities soon followed Montreal's lead.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

We visited the Bombardier Mueum in Valcourt the other day, in the "his old garage" section was this 5 inch vise, appropriately enough, Made in Canada... I can't find much info on the manufacturer, but someone online suggests that Maple Leaf was an economy line of Gray Tools.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Ben "Benny" Howard, designer of the "Mister Mulligan" racing plane formed Howard Aviation after winning both the Bendix and Trompson trophies in 1935. Between 1936 and 1939 the company produced about 30 airplanes. During WW2 they supplied light cargo planes and air ambulances to the US Navy and closed in 1944.

As the SS name had taken a sinister quality during WW2 the SS company changed their name to Jaguar. They sold off the sidecar business to concentrate on cars. Jaguars first new postwar car was this Mk5 of which about 10,000 were built between 1948 and 1951.

Here's another of the Paris flea market wrenches. Another name I can't find any info on but the only interesting thing about it is the 120 degree angle in the jaw. In theory I suppose it might allow a third corner of the bolt to bear on the wrench but I can't really see it offering any significant advantage over the usual two contact point jaw.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

The company, begun as the Weston Electric Instrument company on 1888, started in the aviation business in the mid-thirties and though having been bought, merged or other several times is still around today as part of the Esterline company.